Olympiacos pushes past PAOK

By: Peter Katsiris | November 17th, 2008

Olympiacos ended PAOK’s undefeated start to the Super League season with a 2-0 win against the Thessaloniki-based side on Sunday. Playing in front of vibrant Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Olympiacos gave a clinical performance in which the visitors were irresponsive to.

With every Olympiacos-PAOK encounter always producing fireworks, plenty of analysis dominated the pregame headlines. As both sides enjoyed phenomenal starts to the season, the gap between was just one point. As both sides had aspirations to distance themselves from one another, the stakes on Sunday reached more than just pride. In fact, it was the first time in fourteen years that the stakes featured the possibility of fighting out for the league lead. But with statistics just part of speculation, PAOK was careful not to rely on the numbers game - especially Fernando Santos, who had gone winless in all previous meetings with Olympiacos in his managerial career.

After poor performances in recent weeks, Olympiacos knew it was time to end their slump; and a win was the only cure to the cause. Stubbornly, their guests were not content to just defend during their visit; allowing the opening quarter-of-an-hour of the match transform into a free-flowing encounter. PAOK discovered the first opportunity of the match, as Ibrahim Bakayoko performed a conjunction with Ricardo Veron. The latter’s touch wasn’t as handsome, with his effort always destined to miss Antonis Nikopolidis’ goal.

Olympiacos came much closer at the other end, but Diogo’s headed effort was not accurate enough to put a mark on the scoreboard. Luciano Galletti had an even better chance, but his swirling finish wide of the PAOK goal cancelled any hoped for an Olympiacos breakthrough. PAOK was a little more accurate at the other end, but Zlatan Muslimovic’s twenty-sixth minute effort was far too simple to beat Nikopolidis.

Despite the theme of the final ball lacking conviction, it seemed proper positioning was lacking. Avraam Papadopoulos’ narrow miss to latch a header onto a cross from Galletti inflicted frustration in the Greek defender; meanwhile, Chalkias fell into a sense of relief after realizing poor positioning on his own account.

Despite poor positioning on the offensive front, Christos Patsatzoglou was in the right place at the right time. The Greece international kept the game level when he blocked Bakayoko’s header off the goal line.

After PAOK narrowly missed to grab the game’s first goal on their best effort of the match, Olympiacos did the same two minutes later. A through pass allowed to Diogo to break free, but the Brazilian was unable to Chalkias on the rare one-on-one opportunity.

Another surge on the offensive front allowed Olympiacos to inch even closer, but Darko Kovacevic narrowly missed on Predrag Djordjevic’s pinpoint pass. Djordjevic reproduced the feat just six minutes, and this time the Serbian’s efforts were put to better use. Dissecting the PAOK defense, Patsatzoglou made a perfect run into the PAOK box and like clockwork latched onto Djordjevic’s cross. The Greek made no mistake with his finish, as he slotted his effort neatly into the bottom corner.

With tempers running high, PAOK was very fortunate not to be trailing on two counts heading into the final frame: the score line and the number of men on the field. Pablo Garcia’s jab to the gut of Diogo was missed by referee Anastasios Kakos, but it surely didn’t elude the cameras on hand at Karaiskaki. Fortunate to get off with just a caution, Garcia’s club was just as fortunate to be trailing by just one goal.

With Olympiacos striking just before the half, Patzatzoglou’s breakthrough truly acted as a knock in momentum favouring Olympiacos. Nonetheless, both sides seemed reenergized after the restart as the match resumed with a quick tempo. Although there was an abundance of speed, the half’s first chance towards goal came on sixty-seven minutes. Galletti connected with Djordjevic, but the former was unable to direct his shot accurately as Galletti failed to hit the target for the second time.

PAOK initiated their second half attack on seventy-two minutes, with Muslimovic attempting to send PAOK back to level terms. The Bosnia international fired a hard shot at Nikopolidis, but a chance at a follow-up effort was diminished by an alert Paraskevas Antzas.

Sebastian Leto’s introduction nearly produced an immediate result, a free-kick from the Argentine was met quickly by Diogo but his header did little to trouble Chalkias.

The same couldn’t be said on eighty-six minutes, as Olympiacos finally grabbed its second goal of the match. Didier Domi produced an accurate ball from the left flank, and with proper strength Diogo edged out Stelios Malezas whilst redirecting the cross pass an out-of-position Chalkias. Sealing the match just before fulltime, Pablo Garcia’s second booking of the evening only added to PAOK’s growing misery.

It proved to be a glorious weekend for the hosts, with Olympiacos furthering themselves from their closest competition. Sunday night’s victory padded a league lead which now reaches four points over PAOK - and a level Skoda Xanthi.

PAOK, meanwhile, tasted defeat for the first time this season. The ‘Dikefale tou Vorra’ will now look to their home fixture with Larissa. On the same day, Olympiacos will make the trip to Greece’s hinterland, to face Iraklis in Thessaloniki.

Olympiacos 2-0 PAOK
Patsatzoglou 45′, Diogo 86′

Yellow Cards:
Olympiacos - Domi 14′, A. Papadopoulos 26′, Dudu 43′, Galletti 71′, Torosidis 81′.
PAOK - Arambatzis 19′, Garcia 42′ (89′), Bakayoko 45′, Malezas 70′, Conceicao 73′, Sznaucer 78′.

Red Cards:
Olympiacos - none.
PAOK - Garcia 89′ (double booking).

Olympiacos (Ernesto Valverde): Nikopolidis, Domi, Torosidis, A. Papadopoulos, Antzas, Dudu, Patsatzoglou, Galletti, Djordjevic, Diogo, Kovacevic.

PAOK (Fernando Santos): Chalkias, Arambatzis, Contreras, Malezas, Sznaucer, Garcia, Veron, Ivic, Conceicao, Bakayoko, Muslimovic.

Referee: Anastasios Kakos

Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus, Greece.